The Bay State Monthly, Vol. II, No. 6, March, 1885 by Various

V >> Various >> The Bay State Monthly, Vol. II, No. 6, March, 1885

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18

When we were about one mile from where we expected to join
General Sherman, we were overtaken by a messenger from General
Grant, Captain (since Colonel) Rowley, I believe, who informed
you that our troops had been defeated all along the line, and
driven back, till the right was within half a mile of the river,
and that the road we were on, would, if followed up, lead us
into the rear of the enemy. This being the case, it became
necessary to find some other way to form a junction with the
army. In order to do so, every mounted man attached to your
Head-Quarters was dispatched to find, if possible, some way to
get round the enemys' left without going back to the starting
point, or to find some resident to guide us by the nearest
possible route. Finally a man was found who was compelled to
act as guide. Nevertheless the march was continued as rapidly
as possible, until we joined the right of the army, just after
dark, in the position in which it lay when the battle closed for
the day. Badeau also says: "General Wallace was set right by
Captain (afterwards Colonel) Rowley, and Colonel (afterwards
Major General) McPherson, both at the time upon General Grant's
staff; that they set him right at 1 o'clock, and it took him
till seven to march five miles." It was near 1 o'clock when we
were overtaken by Rowley, but instead of having but five miles
to march, the distance could not have been less than eleven or
twelve miles. The first seen of General McPherson was when we
were met by him and General Rawlins, just as the head of the
column had reached the river road (from Crump's Landing to
Pittsburg Landing) who had come out to urge you to greater
haste. We had to march over the worst road I ever remember to
have seen. In many places it was almost impossible to get
artillery through. In my judgment the entire distance marched by
your command could not have been less than sixteen or seventeen
miles.

The above, General, are the facts relative to the movements of
your command on the day referred to, which fell under my
personal observation. I am, General, very respectively, your
obedient servant,

JAMES R. ROSS,

Late Brev. Lieut. Col. Major. A.D.C.
To MAJOR GENERAL LEW WALLACE
CRAWFORDSVILLE, Indiana.

General Strickland to General Wallace:

HEADQUARTERS FIFTIETH REGIMENT, O.V.I. }
BIG RUN TRESTLE, Ky., June 24, 1863. }

CAPTAIN J.R. Ross, for MAJOR GENERAL LEW WALLACE:

DEAR SIR: In answer to your question as to my recollection of
the circumstances and time of the moving of Major General Lew
Wallace's command to the battle of Shiloh on the sixth of April,
1862, I will submit the following statement:

I was Acting Adjutant General for Colonel John M. Thayer (now
Brigadier General Thayer), he (Colonel Thayer) being in command
of the Second Brigade, General Lew Wallace's Division. On the
morning of the sixth of April (Sunday), 1862, the Brigade
commanded by Colonel Thayer, stationed at "Stony Lonesome," was
in readiness to march at daylight, or before. We were waiting
for orders to move, when Major General Lew Wallace and staff
rode to the headquarters of the brigade, I think between the
hours of 8 and 9 o'clock; it may have been earlier. General
Wallace ordered everything in readiness to move at a moment's
notice. I received the orders directly from General Wallace. I
assured him that the brigade, upon previous orders from himself
and Colonel Thayer, was ready to move, but went again, in
person, by order of Colonel Thayer, and notified Commanders of
Regiments, Batteries, etc., to be ready at the call from Colonel
Thayer's headquarters, to move. I heard General Wallace
addressing himself to Lieutenant Colonel McCord, commanding the
First Nebraska Regiment, to say, that he had received no orders
to move and that he was waiting for orders frown General Grant's
headquarters to move. I heard General Wallace request one of his
staff to watch the road to Crump's Landing for a messenger with
orders.

At half past 11 A.M. (it might have been fifteen minutes to 12)
a person rode up to General Wallace with orders to move. I was
standing by General Wallace at the time. _The Brigade commanded
by Colonel Thayer was in motion in just ten minutes after the
order was received_. I am particular about this, because Colonel
Sanbourn, of the Twenty-first Indiana Regiment, and other
officers of the Brigade, talked over the matter in the morning.
After the order was received we moved off rapidly.

After we had marched some distance, _and were getting nearer to
the sound of musketry continually_, we were met, I think, by
Major Rawlins, Assistant Adjutant General of General Grant, and
our direction changed. From my knowledge of the country, after
the battle of Monday, I am satisfied that, if we had not changed
our direction when we did, we would have gone in behind the left
of the rebel army. After the direction of the column was
changed, I was ordered by Colonel Thayer to go to the foot of
the column, for what purpose I cannot now recollect. I think it
was at the instance of General Wallace, to change direction on a
shorter route of Wood's brigade, and when going from the foot of
the column to the head, to report to my commanding officer,
Colonel Thayer. I remember noticing all _three_ of the
_Brigades_ in _close column, marching rapidly forward_. Just at
dusk we arrived at the valley of a small stream, where the mud
was very deep. We met an orderly, there, from the battle-field,
who said we could reach General Grant's forces by making great
haste, as Berdan's Sharp-shooters were holding the road by which
we were to enter. _The column was hurried forward as fast as it
was possible for it to move_. We arrived a little after dark, on
the right of General Grant's forces, but a few yards in front of
the enemy.

Not knowing for what particular purpose you wish this
communication, I have been precise in details as to time, etc.,
as it will be remembered by most of the officers of the Second
Brigade.

I am, sir, your obedient servant,

J.A. STRICKLAND,
Colonel Commanding Fiftieth Ohio Volunteer Infantry.

General McGinnis to General Wallace:

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, February 21, 1868.

GENERAL: In reply to your note of this date, I would say, that
being in command of the Eleventh Indiana Infantry, I was
attached to the First Brigade, Third Division, Army of the
Tennessee, commanded by you, and encamped at Crump's Landing, on
the morning of the first day of the battle of Pittsburg Landing.

At daylight of said day, our command was aroused by heavy and
continuous firing from the direction of Pittsburg Landing, which
led us to believe that a general battle was being fought. I do
not think more than twenty minutes had elapsed from the time
that the battle commenced until our whole brigade had received
orders to hold ourselves in readiness, (with three days'
rations) to march to any point required; and that point all
understood from indications would be Pittsburg Landing.

For the purpose of concentrating the division, our Brigade
marched to Winn's Farm, two and a half miles from Crump's
Landing, where the Second Brigade of the Third Division was then
encamped. The road taken by our division, after concentrating,
intersected the Purdy road (from Pittsburg Landing) at a point
near Snake Creek, and not far from the ground occupied by
General Sherman's division on the morning of the battle, being
the right of the army. _This, in my opinion, was the shortest
and most direct route to the point at which the right of the
army was resting, when the battle began_.

Orders were not received for the division to march to the field
of battle, _until about_12 _o'clock, A.M. and no time was lost
during the march_, as we moved with the utmost rapidity.

In the history of that battle, written by (Badeau) who was not
there and who could not have had personal knowledge of the facts
in relation thereto, serious and gross injustice has been done
you.

Very respectfully,

G.F. McGinnis,
Late Brigadier General U.S.A.

[General Fred Knefler's letter to General Lew Wallace corroborating the
statements made by the other members of the staff will be found on page
367--ED.]

Captain Ware to General Wallace:

GENERAL: I submit the following statement in regard to the
movement of your division, on Sunday, April 6, 1862, as far as
came under my observation.

The first intimation I had that an engagement was progressing
was about 6 o'clock, A.M. I heard firing in the direction of the
camps at Pittsburg Landing. Soon after I was ordered by you to
proceed to Adamsville, where the Third Brigade, under Colonel
Wood was encamped, with orders to have his tents, and baggage
train sent immediately to the river, and his command to march
back to the Second Brigade, which was then stationed two and a
half miles from Crump's Landing. I also ordered the First
Brigade, under Colonel Morgan L. Smith, to move out to the same
point. The Second Brigade, under Colonel John M. Thayer, was
also ordered to be ready to move at a moment's notice. I
returned to your headquarters and with you proceeded to the
above-mentioned point. At twenty minutes of 12 an order was to
you delivered, by Captain Baxter, A.Q.M., directing "you to move
your division up and join General Shermans' right," on the road
leading from Pittsburg Landing to Purdy, that being the extreme
right of General Grant's position.

Two Regiments of Infantry and one piece of artillery were left
at the camp of the Second Brigade, to protect the camp equipage
and baggage. I am, General, very respectfully,

Your obedient servant,

AD WARE, JR., A.D.C.

To MAJOR GENERAL LEW WALLACE.

General John M. Thayer to General Wallace:

UNITED STATES SENATE CHAMBER,

WASHINGTON. March 4. 1868.

At the time of the battle of Pittsburg Landing I was in command
of the Second Brigade of the division commanded by General Lew
Wallace, and, with the Brigade, was in camp two and a half miles
out from Crump's Landing, at a place called Stony Lonesome. At
dawn of the morning of April 6, 1862, I heard cannonading in the
direction of Pittsburg Landing. At an early hour I received
orders from General Wallace, through a Staff Officer, to "hold
my command in readiness to march at a moment's notice." General
Wallace came to my camp, soon afterwards, and informed me that
he was awaiting orders from General Grant to move to the
battle-field. I knew he was very impatient to receive such
orders. The Division was kept in readiness to move without
delay. At about half past 11 o'clock an officer rode up to
General Wallace with the expected order from General Grant, and,
in a few minutes, the command was on the march towards the field
of action. As we advanced the cannonading became more distinct.
As we were moving on I recollect a Staff Officer passing up the
column seeking General Wallace. Very soon we countermarched,
with the view, as I understood, of crossing to the river road
leading to Pittsburg Landing, and there reaching the right of
our army, which we reached about dark. According to my
recollection there was no halting while on the march, except to
close up the column.

While waiting in my camp for the order of General Grant to move
to the scene of action General Wallace manifested great anxiety
to move forward, and did move immediately on receipt of the
order. Very respectfully,

JOHN M. THAYER,

Late Brig. Gen'l and B'v't Maj Gen'l of Vols.

General Grant to General Wallace:

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE UNITED STATES.

WASHINGTON, D.C., MARCH, 10, 1868.

MY DEAR GENERAL:

Enclosed herewith, I return your letters from officers of the
Army who served with you at the battle of Shiloh, Tennessee,
giving their statement of your action on that occasion. I can
only state that my orders to you were given verbally to a Staff
Officer to communicate, and that they were substantially as
given by General Badeau in his book. I always understood that
the Staff Officer referred to, Captain Baxter, made a memorandum
of the order he received and left it with you. That memorandum I
never saw.

The statements which I now return seem to exonerate you from
this great point of blame, your taking the wrong road, or
different road from the one directed from Crump's Landing to
Pittsburg Landing. All your subsequent military career showed
you active and ready in the execution of every order you
received. Your promptness in moving from Baltimore to Monocacy,
Maryland, in 1864, and meeting the enemy in force far superior
to your own, when Washington was threatened, is a case
particularly in point, where you could scarcely have hoped for a
victory; but you delayed the enemy, and enabled me to get troops
from City Point, Virginia, in time to save the city. That act I
regarded as most praiseworthy. I refer you to my report of 1865,
touching your course there.

In view of the assaults made upon you now, I think it due to
you, that you should publish what your own Staff and other
subordinate officers have to say in exoneration of your course.

Yours Truly,

U.S. GRANT, GENERAL.
To MAJOR GENERAL L. WALLACE,
CRAWFORDSVILLE, Indiana.

* * * * *

FITCHBURG IN 1885.

BY ATHERTON P. MASON, M.D.

In the January number of this magazine appeared an excellent and
comprehensive historical sketch of Fitchburg. It is proposed in this
article to portray as briefly as possible, and by the aid of engravings,
the present condition and resources of our city.

Old Rollstone and its opposite neighbor, Pearl Hill, have witnessed the
transformation of a rude, inhospitable wilderness into a beautiful and
busy city. We of the present day, proud of our heritage, are striving to
improve it by all means within our power.

Fitchburg owes her growth and prosperity pre-eminently to those
energetic and plucky men who founded and fostered the great industries
which now constitute her life and soul. Alvah Crocker, Salmon W. Putnam,
Eugene T. Miles, and Walter Heywood, have left behind them great and
lasting proofs of their toil and perseverance. Of Rodney Wallace, who is
now in the midst of a useful and benevolent life among us, another will
speak more fully and fittingly in other pages of this magazine; nor
would we neglect to give due credit to the energetic men who are now
either carrying on business established by their predecessors, or
founding new industries which enhance the resources and good name of
Fitchburg.

[Illustration: UNION PASSENGER DEPOT]

The little river (the north branch of the Nashua) which runs through the
township, and which is formed by the confluence of several large brooks
in the westerly part of the town, first invited the manufacturer to
locate on its banks. Its water-power is still used, but steam is now the
chief motor that propels the machinery, looms and spindles that daily
pour forth products which go to the markets, not of this country alone,
but of the world.

Perhaps no place of its size can boast of a greater diversity of
industries than Fitchburg. In such an article as this attention must
necessarily be confined to the chief among them, and but few words
devoted to the description of separate establishments.

[Illustration: PUTNAM MACHINE COMPANY'S WORKS.]

Machinery takes the first rank among the manufactures of Fitchburg. The
pioneers in this business here were two brothers, Salmon W. and John
Putnam, who, in 1838, established the firm of J. & S.W. Putnam. In 1858
S.W. Putnam organized the Putnam Machine Company, which now has a wide
and enviable reputation. Mr. Putnam was President and General Business
Manager of the company until his death in 1872. Two of his surviving
sons are now actively engaged in carrying on the business, Charles F.
Putnam being President and Manager, and Henry O. Putnam Superintendent
of the department in which special machinists' and railroad tools are
made. There are six other departments devoted to special kinds of
manufacture which are superintended by able men. Mr. Putnam's two other
sons founded, in 1882, the Putnam Tool Company, located on Walnut
street, of which Salmon W. Putnam is President, and George E. Putnam
Treasurer, and is owned entirely by the Putnams. This company
manufactures machinery, railroad and machine tools. The present location
of the Putnam Machine Company, corner of Main and Putnam streets,
comprising over twenty-six acres, was purchased in 1866, and the
buildings were immediately erected at a cost of over $200,000. The works
were built from plans designed by the late President, and are arranged
with special reference to the variety of machines manufactured,
consisting of railroad and machinists' tools, steam-engines,
water-wheels, and shafting. They comprise machine shops, foundries and
forges, and rank with the oldest and largest establishments of the kind
in the United States.

The Putnams are descendants of Gen. Israel Putnam of Revolutionary fame.

[Illustration: RESIDENCE OF MRS. SALMON W. PUTNAM, WALNUT STREET]

The Fitchburg Machine Works occupy a large and convenient brick building
on Main street, near its beginning, and manufacture machinists' tools
principally. Opposite is the handsome brick building occupied by C.H.
Brown and Company, manufacturers of the "Brown" automatic cut-off
steam-engines, which have gained a wide reputation. A little further up
on Main street is located the Simonds Manufacturing Company. This
company was organized in 1868 with a capital of $150,000 and
manufactures machine knives and the well-known "Simonds" Circular Saw.

On Water street are three machine shops to be noticed. The Union Machine
Company makes paper machinery. The Rollstone Machine Company,
manufactures the "Rollstone" Lathe and other wood-working machinery. The
Fitchburg Steam Engine Company, whose business was established in 1871,
manufactures steam-engines and boilers, making a specialty of the
"Fitchburg" steam-engine, the great merits of which are everywhere
acknowledged. The company, notwithstanding its comparatively recent
organization, has a firm foothold in this country, and abroad also.

D.M. Dillon manufactures boilers and paper machinery. A.D. Waymouth and
Company, and C.W. Wilder manufacture respectively the Waymouth
wood-turning lathe and Wilder's patent lathe.

In 1866 Charles Burleigh of Fitchburg invented the Burleigh rock drill,
and the next year the Burleigh Rock Drill Company was organized with a
capital of $150,000, to make and sell this machine and the Burleigh
Patent air-compressor. These drills have completely revolutionized the
business of rock-tunneling. They were first used in the Hoosac Tunnel
and, proved highly successful. Since then they have been employed at
Hell Gate, in the Sutro Tunnel, and at various points in Europe.

[Illustration: STILES BLOCK, MAIN STREET.]

The Rollstone Iron Foundry, the Fitchburg Iron Foundry, and M.J.
Perault, manufacture castings of all kinds. W.A. Hardy operates a brass
Foundry on Water street. There is no space to indulge further in details
regarding machinery. In addition to the above are numerous individuals
and firms here engaged in the manufacture of mowing machines and
agricultural implements, boiler makers' tools, electric machinery and
apparatus, files, grist and flouring-mill machinery, hay, straw, and
machine, knives, wood-working machinery, machinists' tools, water
motors, watch tools, paper machinery and the like.

The paper manufacturing interest in Fitchburg is valuable and extensive.
The credit of successfully establishing this industry here belongs to
Alvah Crocker, who, in 1826, built a paper mill of his own. Paper had,
however, been made here to some extent previous to that time. In 1850
the firm of Crocker, Burbank and Company was formed, of which Mr.
Crocker was the head until his death in 1874. The present members of the
firm are C.T. Crocker, S.E. Crocker, G.F. Fay, G. H. Crocker and Alvah
Crocker. The firm now operates five large paper mills in West Fitchburg.
A sixth, the Snow Mill, was recently destroyed by fire. About 32,000
pounds of news, book and card paper are produced by these mills every
twenty-four hours.

In 1865 the Fitchburg Paper Company was organized. Rodney Wallace,
having purchased the interests of the other three original members of
the company, is now the sole proprietor. He operates two large and
well-equipped mills in West Fitchburg, which produce from 15,000 to
18,000 pounds of card and hanging paper every twenty-four hours.

[Illustration: CROCKER BLOCK.]

In 1864 George W. Wheelwright and Sons built a paper mill, and in 1880
the G.W. Wheelwright Paper Company was incorporated with a capital of
$100,000. The mill is located on Fourth street and produces about 7,000
pounds of news paper per twenty-four hours.

In 1884 a number of capitalists purchased the building long known as
Richardson's scythe shop, situated on Scythe-shop road, South Fitchburg,
and converted it into a paper-mill. It is now operated by the National
Paper Company and produces manilla and hanging paper.

The chair business is represented in Fitchburg by an establishment which
is one of the largest and best arranged in the world. Walter Heywood
really founded this industry here in 1844, though chairs were made in
Fitchburg on a small scale some years previously. The Walter Heywood
Chair Company was organized in 1851 and incorporated in 1869 with a
capital of $240,000. In July, 1870, the company's buildings on Water
street were completely destroyed by fire, and a lot on River street,
comprising nine acres, was immediately purchased for the erection of new
works. These buildings, each three hundred feet long, fifty feet wide
and two stories high, besides store houses, offices and sheds, were soon
ready for occupation. A private track connects the works with the
Fitchburg Railroad. The Company has a very large trade, both foreign and
domestic, and employs three hundred men. The chair stock is prepared at
the company's mills in Barton, Vermont.

[Illustration: FACTORY OF THE FITCHBURG WOOLEN MILL COMPANY.]

The manufacture of cotton and woolen goods is extensively carried on in
Fitchburg. The Fitchburg Cotton Mill is a fine brick building at the
upper end of Main street; carpet warps, batting and twine are here
manufactured. The Fitchburg Duck Mills in South Fitchburg produce cotton
duck. The Parkhill Manufacturing Company (John Parkhill, President, and
Arthur H. Lowe, Treasurer), occupies what was formerly Davis' chair
shop, situated on Circle street, and manufactures gingham. The building
has been greatly enlarged and additional buildings have been erected
since the company was organized a few years ago. Excellent goods are
manufactured and find a ready market.

The factory of the Fitchburg Woolen Mill Company, in Factory square, has
been long established and its products are well known. The company was
organized in 1843, but the factory itself has been in existence much
longer, being one of the oldest brick buildings in town. It was
originally used as a cotton mill, but in 1822 it was made into a woolen
factory. Since that date it has been enlarged several times. William H.
Vose, recently deceased, was Treasurer and Manager of this mill for
about forty years. Only a few months ago Mr. Vose wrote a concise
history of the factory since 1822, which is interesting and valuable.
James Phillips, Jr., is a prominent woolen manufacturer and operates the
three following concerns: a large woolen manufactory in West Fitchburg,
producing suitings, etc.; the Star Worsted Company, and the Fitchburg
Worsted Company, producing yarn and worsted. Mr. Phillips has met with
marked success, and his goods take high rank in the best markets. There
is a woolen mill in Rockville, a village in the westerly part of
Fitchburg, operated by James McTaggart, Jr.

[Illustration: RESIDENCE OF MRS. WM.H. VOSE, PROSPECT STREET.]

The firm of E.M. Dickinson & Company is the only one in the city engaged
in the manufacture of shoes. This firm occupies a handsome brick
factory, recently erected on Main street, next to the Simonds
Manufacturing Company, and has a large trade both in New England and the
West. In connection with E.M. Dickinson & Company, and located in the
same building, is the Sole Leather Tip Company. The Fitchburg Furniture
Company has a large manufactory on Newton Place. A number of concerns
carry on an extensive lumber business and operate establishments where
doors, sashes, blinds, and ornamental wood-work are made. J. Gushing &
Company and Washburn & Woodward operate large grain elevators and flour
mills. The first named firm occupies the "Stone Mill," one of the old
land-marks of Fitchburg. In addition to the above there are numerous
individuals and firms engaged in the manufacture of confectionery,
crackers, tin-ware, toys, soap, wood pulp, carriages, harnesses, marble
and granite monuments, bricks, beer, cigars and matches. In fine there
are over one hundred concerns here engaged in manufacturing on a large
scale, and considerably over one hundred establishments where
occupations akin to manufacturing are carried on.

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18